


Priority Customer

by Erstwhileknitter



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Caregiving, Fluff, I don't think I'll ever be able to write something that isn't fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fic, Sickfic, love amongst the firbolgs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-07 15:04:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18413084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erstwhileknitter/pseuds/Erstwhileknitter
Summary: Caduceus makes an ill-advised trip to visit the Pumats while under the weather. Luckily they notice. Pumat Prime isn't much for dealing with the public, but sometimes he makes an exception.





	Priority Customer

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was based off a hurt/comfort writing prompt. The starter sentence was, "You're burning up" and then the plot hit me like a tank. I've been fiddling with it for months now so I thought I'd bite the bullet and post it because there simply isn't enough of this pairing.

“You’re burning up.”  
Caduceus leaned into Pumat number 4’s touch instinctively, seeking relief. His hand was mercifully cool. It was enough to make him forget that the person it was attached to was a simucam. Simlucrum? The word was slipping away from his brain like a fish escaping from a net. Suddenly, his trip out didn’t seem like such a good idea. The floors here were so clean, it’d be rude to throw up on them. Not like his floors at home. Those you just laid down new moss to clean. Heh, moss.  
“Mr. Clay?” Pumat 4’s next question brought him back to reality. The hand left his forehead and he focused on the worried face in front of him. “Mr. Clay, you don’t look well. Can I offer you a chair?”  
“A chair,” Caduceus echoed. “Yeah, that sounds great.”  
His stomach was stirring with queasiness and there was a headache slowly taking over his skull. He was already running through the possible causes for his symptoms, but it wasn’t doing much good. Thinking too hard hurt at the moment. The sudden screech of a chair being moved on hardwood caused the pain to spike sharply. He winced.  
Seeing this, Pumat 3 picked up the chair he’d been dragging and hurried over. He placed the chair beside Caduceus and he gratefully sat. It was surprisingly hard to find Firbolg sized chairs in Zadash. It figured the Pumats would keep them around. He could lean his back against it, a rare treat for someone seven feet tall. He couldn’t relax too much, though. A shop was an odd place to fall asleep.  
Pumat 2, who was up on a stepladder, had paused his restocking to observe the scene. As Caduceus sat, he’d begun making his way back down. Now, he crossed the room to stand next to his fellow duplicate. It occurred to Caduceus that if all of them were willing to stop working, he must have looked very ill indeed.  
“He’s awful flushed, double check-.”  
“Right, of course.”  
Pumat 3 brushed Caduceus’s hair back to touch his neck. The contact was pleasant, but he could sense how worried the Firbolg was. He was also acutely aware of the fact that whatever strength had gotten him this far was rapidly dissipating. He leaned against duplicate’s side, hoping to ease his headache. Mmm, soft. Pumat 3 hummed worriedly, petting his head.  
“My, that’s quite the fever you’ve got, eh?”  
“I suppose,” Caduceus murmured. “It wasn’t this bad earlier.”  
The words were meant to reassure them, but they had the opposite effect. Pumat 2 leaned over to 4 and muttered something, eyes darting to Caduceus briefly. 4 nodded and disappeared into the backroom. He knew he should speak up, but 3 was soft and warm and the way he was carding his fingers through his hair was really nice.  
“Respectfully, Mr. Clay, we’re worried you might not make it home. 4’s just gone to get the boss. He’ll take care of you.”  
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Caduceus protested, but before any of them could respond, Pumat Prime rushed out of the workshop. He pulled off his goggles to assess the situation, panic evident on his features. Odd. He wasn’t usually this frantic.  
“Mr. Clay!” Pumat Prime was in front of him in a matter of seconds. He knelt down so they were eye level. Up close, he looked uncertain. Tentative, perhaps.  
“How-how do you feel?”  
Since the cat was out of the bag, Caduceus answered honestly, “Sick.”  
He forced a smile. “I probably should have waited to bring these in,” He added, patting the satchel at his side.  
He’d intended to bring the Pumats some of the arcane items they’d collected on their latest adventure. What was that saying? The mortals plan and the gods laugh? Well. At least his predicament might amuse the Wildmother. To her credit, she’d ensured he was someplace safe when the full force of his illness hit.  
Pumat pressed his lips together and rubbed Caduceus’s arm, soothing away the goosebumps. Caduceus swallowed thickly, dimly aware of 3 petting his head. He wasn’t used to this much attention. It was…nice wasn’t the right word. Hopefully he wasn’t inconveniencing them too much.  
“Should I send a message to your companions?” Pumat Prime asked.  
Caduceus shook his head, ruing the way it swam from the motion. “They’re tied up at the moment, I don’t think they’d be able to come collect me for a while.”  
Beau and Caleb had gone to seek out training and books respectively. Nott had chosen to tag along. Jester was at the opposite side of the city in search of a new bakery she’d heard about. Fjord, for reasons unknown to Caduceus, had gone walkabout for a few days. Yasha was…well, she was wherever. All he knew was that she’d show up again eventually. He suddenly missed them, despite their relatively close proximity. It was sort of frightening to think that they were the only support system he had in a very large, unfamiliar world.  
But even as the thought crossed his mind, Pumat Prime was still rubbing his arm. 3 held him steady as he drooped with fatigue. There was companionship here and it extended beyond the usual courtesy of a shop proprietor. He knew this wasn’t kindness they’d garnered from shopping there regularly. In fact, Caduceus had an idea as to why the Pumats were so friendly with him in particular. Before he could wonder further, Pumat Prime spoke.  
“Mr. Clay, if I’m not being too forward…you could stay here for a bit. There’s a place you can lie down in the back.”  
Was it his imagination, or were the two Pumats behind Prime sharing a knowing look? That nagging thought got a bit stronger. He’d known for a while Pumat-all of them, really- looked at him with a certain fondness. In his quieter moments, Caduceus knew that it was a fondness he might even be able to reciprocate. He was only held back by the unfamiliarity of the feeling. All he knew about love came from his family and the often one sided support he gave to those who visited his graveyard in need of help. Joining the Mighty Nein had taught him so many new things. Could it help him put a name on this new feeling?  
But that was something he wanted to figure out later. And possibly ask Jester about. For now, he nodded and Prime helped him to his feet, arm wrapping around him when he stumbled. The remaining simulacrums went back to their posts, satisfied Caduceus was in good hands. Pumat kept him upright as they made the short trip into the workshop.  
Right away, it was clear that there was a difference between the store and the workshop. Where the shop was a finely polished place of commerce, the workshop was a bit dingy with a homey touch. The shelves were not as immaculately organized as those in the shop, but there was still an order, albeit a more personalized kind. The table in the center of the room was nicked and worn in a way that reminded him of his own teapot. It was an item that was well-used but still taken care of. There was also a sofa, roughly Firbolg sized, pressed as close to the wall as possible.  
Pumat made short work of clearing it of various blueprints. Caduceus tried again to insist he didn’t have to go out of his way, but it fell on deaf ears.  
“I can’t let one of my customers end up collapsing on the street,” Pumat told him, avoiding his gaze.  
Still, it was a comfortable place to rest, even if the faint smell of raw magic was a bit stomach turning. Then again, he mused, it might not be the smell. He really hoped this wasn’t the flu. He’d been laid up for a week last time. As he curled up on the sofa, he expected Pumat to resume his work, but to his surprise, he moved his chair to sit beside him.  
“Y’need anything?” He asked. “Water, maybe?”  
Caduceus snuggled down into the cushions. It was getting very hard to keep his eyes open. This was nice, all things considered. Pumat was nice company. Was it wrong that he hoped he’d be there when he woke up again?  
“No, thank you. I just need a nap.”  
“Right. Of course,” Pumat laid a hesitant hand on his shoulder. Caduceus placed his own hand over Pumat’s, encouraging the contact. He liked being touched. He’d missed it dearly when his family left. Despite his parent’s constantly divided attention, they’d usually notice when he was sick and try to help him. Having someone by your side when you were under the weather was an underappreciated luxury. As if he’d heard Cad’s thoughts, Pumat squeezed his shoulder.  
“I hope you feel better soon, Cad-Mr. Clay.”  
Caduceus hummed gratefully, closing his eyes. The fever was still very much present and the nausea was sure to get worse when he woke up. Yet despite it all, he felt better than when he’d first come in. Perhaps. Perhaps, there would be a time when he’d be able to let Pumat know how much he really did appreciate him.


End file.
